Gluten-Free Molasses Cookies! Chewy, soft and sure to become your new go-to Christmas cookie!
Soft Molasses Cookies. Molasses Crinkle Cookies. Soft Ginger Cookies. Whatever you call them – these cookies are sure to become your go-to Christmas cookie!
These cookies are soft with the perfect amount of chew. They are spiced with ginger and coated in a festive sparkly sugar that gives them a delicious crunch.
I’m usually a total chocolate girl – but I’m alway surprised how much I love these cookies! For more holiday cookies try these gluten-free gingersnaps, gluten-free gingerbread cookies or gluten-free shortbread cookies.
Gluten-Free Molasses Cookies
There are a few tricks to making perfectly soft, non-grainy gluten-free molasses cookies.
The first is to add a secret ingredient – almond butter!
Almond butter is definitely not the first thing you think of when it comes to molasses cookies. But trust me! It’s the key to soft, chewy cookies in this recipe. A little almond butter adds structure, chew and richness. And don’t worry – you won’t even know it’s there.
The next trick is to use a high-quality gluten-free flour blend. I like to use King Arthur Flour Gluten-Free Measure-For-Measure Flour that I buy on Amazon. I like how it comes in big, easy-to-use bags. (Not sponsored!)
I’ve found that gluten-free flour tends to be a little denser than regular flour. When swapping it in for recipes it’s best to decrease the amount of flour slightly.
I originally tried this recipe with 1 1/2 cups gluten-free flour but found the cookies had a a much better consistency with 1 1/4 cups gluten-free flour.
After you mix the dough together it’s important to give it a 1-hour rest. This gives the gluten-free flour time to hydrate and really makes a difference. It’s key for non-gritty gluten-free cookies!
When you’re ready to bake, I like to scoop these cookies out using a cookie scoop then roll them in some cane sugar. Organic cane sugar works great for this since the texture is a little coarser.
It gives the cookies a delicious crunch and festive sparkle!
You can easily make these cookies dairy-free or refined-sugar-free if needed. Just use Earth Balance Buttery Sticks in place of the butter to make these dairy-free.
To make these cookies refined-sugar-free substitute coconut sugar for the brown sugar and skip rolling the dough in cane sugar.
With all these tricks friends and family will never guess these cookies are gluten-free! They make a welcome addition to any Christmas cookie plate!
Tricks for Perfect, Soft Gluten-Free Cookies
Almond butter: Provides structure, richness and chew
Add the right amount of flour: Use a high-quality gluten-free flour blend and add just the right amount
1-hour rest: Gives the flour time to hydrate and prevents grittiness
Roll them in sugar: For extra crunch and a little holiday sparkle!
For more recipes check out these gluten-free Christmas cookies (hint: they’re buttery drop-style sugar cookies!)
Gluten-Free Molasses Cookies
I like making these with King Arthur Flour Gluten-Free Flour.
Ingredients
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 cup almond butter
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1/4 cup butter or vegan butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/4 cups gluten-free 1:1 baking flour
Optional:
- Raw sugar or granulated sugar for rolling
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large mixing bowl, mix together the egg, sugar, vanilla, almond butter, molasses, and butter until smooth and creamy.
- Add the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly until combined. Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Place about 1/2 cup of sugar in a bowl, if using. Scoop out 1-2 tablespoon-sized balls of dough and roll in the sugar. Place on a baking sheet.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes, until the edges are golden and the center has set. Cool on the pan for 2-3 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
- Store leftovers in an airtight container.
Notes
Nutrition
More favorite Christmas cookies…
Loving your recipes!!
Hi Ann, thanks so much! So glad to hear that! Happy holidays!
I followed the recipe to a T and used King Arthur 1:1 for the flour blend. I refrigerated for 3 hours, rolled into balls, and rolled in sugar as well. I did not flatten as some mentioned they spread too much during baking. Mine came out looking exactly like the photo, but working with the dough was challenging because it was so wet, even after thoroughly chilled. I also ended up throwing back in the oven because they looked done on the outside with slight browning around the edges, but the middle was pretty doughy, with more than slight chew. Then the outsides got slightly crispy but at least the middle was more cooked and there was still a slight chew. The flavors are also quite strong. Much more so than with other ginger molasses cookies. Maybe it was my flour, but with how wet the dough was and how intense the flavor was, it almost seemed like it could have used another 1/2c of flour or so. I’m not sure what the consistency of the dough was supposed to be, but it was a bit like a thick frosting and less like a dough. They looked beautiful, but the molasses flavor was quite a bit heavier than I’m used to. I think I’ll make again but cut down on the molasses and use more flour and see how it goes. Overall a great recipe, but obvious different ingredients can result in slight variations. I used Kirkland almond butter and it was runnier than others I’ve tried, so that is probably where my recipe went wrong.
Hi Jen, thanks for sharing your experience! Yes, this recipe can definitely be affected by the type of almond butter used, as well as the temperature, humidity, and altitude. It sounds like you’re on the right track with adding a bit more flour!
I have finally found the perfect gluten free molasses cookie. My daughter loves these cookies. They came out perfect. Thank you!
Hi,
What can I use instead of an egg. My son has a nut allergy?
Hi Amy, we haven’t tried an egg substitution for this recipe. If you try one, we’d love to hear how it turns out!